Western Sydney Wanderers have snuck right behind Central Coast Mariners, one point behind top-spot. And while the top-four looks all-but secure, any two of Sydney FC, Brisbane Roar, Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Heart would fancy themselves to snatch two of the remaining spots available. Even Perth, rejuvenated by Alistair Edwards’s appointment, would not have given up hope of a finals berth.

Championship Winner

Graham Arnold described their loss to Perth Glory as "probably the worst performance since I've been at the club". The next six weeks will thoroughly test their ability to retain their premiership – starting with Victory and Wanderers in the next fortnight.

Gary says: The question mark remains – while they’ve been so consistent in their day-to-day work through the season – will they manage or handle finals football? They’ve fallen at the last hurdle a number of times now and are desperate for Arnie to go on and win it. He wasn’t happy at all last week – are the players going to cope with expectation or pressure? There’s no doubt they’re in a great position still – but – what if Daniel McBreen gets injured? While they’re a very good unit, when it comes to a semi-final or a final, you need special players. While they’ve got very good players there, I’m not sure they’ve the special ones to win the championship without Tom Rogic.

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS

TAB odds (as of 19/2): $3.50

There’s a bandwagon getting built at Parramatta Stadium, stemming from the infectious atmosphere, the underdog achievements of this Wanderers side and the spirited football they’re playing. Could they really go all the way?

Gary says: They’ve got a great chance of going all the way this year. If you’re talking about needing special players, they’ve got match-winners like Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi. When it comes to the crunch in a grand final situation, players like Ante Covic, Adam D’Apuzzo, Michael Beauchamp, Mark Bridge, Nikolai Topor-Stanley – they’ve seen it all before. They can defend as well as anyone and boast a lot of experience. They’ve been solid all year and with Ono at the top end, there’s no reason they can’t.

MELBOURNE VICTORY

TAB odds (as of 19/2): $4.25

Back-to-back losses to Adelaide United and Western Sydney will have Ange Postecoglou cranky, but they have been missing Adama Traore, Mark Milligan and Archie Thompson at stages. Teams put plenty of pressure on Victory’s midfield – will others emulate this, or will their slick passing football return?

Gary says: They can go all the way regardless of where they finish. They probably won’t win the premiership, but they’ve got enough quality to cause trouble in the finals. If they’ve got Archie Thompson on the park, they’re still the team for me. He’s a player for the big occasion. And then there’s the Postecoglou factor. He’ll have a major influence, allowing players to continue to express themselves. They’ve also got Daniel Mullen to get fitter, Traore to return and are solid in midfield. Personally, I’m leaning towards Victory.

ADELAIDE UNITED

TAB odds (as of 19/2): $7.50

It took Adelaide until the final moments against Sydney FC to show the energy and desire they displayed against Victory the week before. It’s been a strange old story at Hindmarsh – quick out of the blocks without being convincing, off-field turmoil - but they’re still in contention. A big litmus test of Michael Valkanis.

Gary says: They might have been solid but I just don’t think they’ve got enough there. They haven’t shown me enough to suggest they can go all the way in big games. Jeronimo Neumann and Marcelo Carrusca are impressive, but Dario Vidosic’s form has waned. He’s still a big question mark in big games – I don’t know if he’s mentally strong enough to perform in pressure situations. Zenon Caravella’s departure is a loss – I just don’t know if their midfield is creative enough. They’re direct – they play to their strengths. But their back-four don’t have the ability to keep the ball and I’m not sure they’re defensively sound enough. Take Eugene Galekovic away and they’re not even in the top-six.

A season that started with incredible hype and then looked like fizzling via coaching instability and injuries has suddenly burst back to life. A coach with security, the national captain in defence, a World Cup winner about to re-sign. Plenty of people might not like the finals system – but not Sydney FC supporters.

Gary says: They’ll cause problems if they can get into the finals. Throw Joel Griffiths in there, Lucas Neill will organise things at the back and provide great confidence, they’ve got a couple of good kids playing well and at the pointy end, there’s Alessandro Del Piero. They’ll be a big threat. No reason that they won't be a problem for other teams as we head into the finals.

NEWCASTLE JETS

TAB odds (as of 19/2): $13

Gary van Egmond’s side burst back to life last weekend at home against Melbourne Heart. They’re sprinkled with talent but inconsistency has plagued the side. They don’t have the toughest run home – but get a crucial chance to create a buffer with a clash against Brisbane Roar on the weekend.

Gary says: They’ve got a lot of inexperience there, but also a lot of enthusiasm. Emile Heskey up front is always going to be a problem. But I’m leaning towards Brisbane to knick that final spot in the six.

BRISBANE ROAR

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TAB odds (as of 19/2): $15

Mike Mulvey has the task of rejuvenating the two-time defending champions – they might be a shadow of their swashbuckling selves, but if they make the finals, they’ve got enough pedigree on the pitch to pose some questions. They must target wins against the Jets and Heart in the run home, which includes matches against Sydney, Central Coast, Melbourne Victory and Adelaide.

Gary says: I’m leaning towards Brisbane because they’ve got a lot of quality still. They’ve been there, done that and know what’s required. Stefan Nijland is a quality player that can do anything. In Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha, they’ve still got their special players, plus Mitch Nichols and Jade North are to come back as well. They’ve got strength, quality around the park. If they get to the finals, they’ll cause problems, no question.

MELBOURNE HEART

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TAB odds (as of 19/2): $15

A team packed with talent – and experience – but for some reason, they can’t string a run of games together. They’ll be fired up to face Lucas Neill this weekend.

Gary says: Their away form is terrible, too inconsistent. I love watching Heart because they play such an exciting brand of football – something is always happening. I just don’t think they’re consistent enough. They’ll be there and there abouts – but I don’t think they’ll make the six.

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